**Please help!! disk drive/windows issue

**Phoenix750** · 05-03-2009, 08:32 PM

Thank you for looking!

I have an external USB DVD drive (see below) that I'm having issues with and can find no solution to the problem. Even worse, is that the problem is intermittent and I can find absolutely no pattern correlating to the issue. Here are the steps leading up until now:

1. First plugged in the drive; worked and formatted windows
2. Loaded Included drivers disk from Intel for the mobo
3. Updated windows via windows update (look, a palindrome!)
4. Installed RR and USB wireless network adapter (everything still working fine)
5. One day, the drive is no longer recognized.
6. 12" USB cable and separate 5V power (verified with DMM)
7. Drive works 100% on other computers
8. Everything else works fine on carputer
9. Drive SHOWS UP IN BIOS but not explorer.exe
10. Uninstalled/rebooted all USB controllers/ root hubs (no change)
11. Drive has no separate drivers: plug n play

Based on the fact that the drive works on other computers and that it shows up in the BIOS on the carputer, I am assuming its a software issue (with windows?).

More weird info:

Sometimes, when only using the USB power, the drive will show up. BUT, when a disk is inserted and the drive spins up, nothing happens, and sometimes the drive will not show up after doing this. I'm confident the drive has enough power. I really think its a Windows issue.

can anybody help? I'm about ready to give up.

System:

D945GCLF2 mobo
toshiba 160GB HDD
2GB RAM
M2-ATX
drive: Teac DW-224SL-R

Bought it all assembled from Mo-Co-So.com

**Injector** · 05-03-2009, 10:23 PM

when the drive is not recognized, is the drive still getting a steady 5v supply, have you checked it with a volt meter for power drops under load? when you use it on other pcs are you using the same power means or something different?

**Phoenix750** · 05-03-2009, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by Injector

when the drive is not recognized, is the drive still getting a steady 5v supply, have you checked it with a volt meter for power drops under load? when you use it on other pcs are you using the same power means or something different?

When on other computers, I don't even need to use additional power beyond USB for it to work (only a 12" cord). Yes, I have checked and the 5V power is consistent.

**Injector** · 05-03-2009, 10:38 PM

is it intermittent or does it happen on a specific action occurs?

**Phoenix750** · 05-03-2009, 10:39 PM

Completely intermittent. I can't figure out one single event that correlates with this problem.

**Injector** · 05-04-2009, 01:25 AM

have you tried a different usb port? or using a thumb drive in the port that's causing issues and checking if the problem is still there?

**Phoenix750** · 05-04-2009, 02:21 AM

Yea, I've tried using it on other ports and it still does the same thing. Likewise, all my other USB devices work with any of the ports. I do not have a secondary USB drive I could try either.

Is these some sort of thing Windows uses to label a USB device? Maybe its trying to label it as a mass storage device instead of a drive; is that possible?

**almera** · 05-04-2009, 02:38 AM

Corrupt USB enumeration in your registry, maybe just need to do some registry cleanup. ...
* Device Manager - Uninstall USB Root Hubs
* Regedit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\U SB
* Clear out all corresponding keys

**leo_bergamo** · 05-04-2009, 07:36 AM

The +5 VDC is constant on any USB port I beleive. I would sugest uninstalling the device drivers while under Windows 'Safe Mode' then re-installing them under Windows 'Normal Mode'. The voltmeter idea was not bad. You could use it to test the supply voltage from the port. You could have a bad motherboard. Good luck!

**Injector** · 05-04-2009, 11:11 AM

i was thinking that he might be using the usb ports that connect to headers on the mobo, because i've seen some cases that have as many as 3 ports but only 1 header connector to the mobo.